Drone strikes not linked to Zarb-e-Azb operation: FO

Aslam says it is misleading to attach Wednesday's drone attacks to military operation in North Waziristan.

ISLAMABAD: The government has clarified that drone strikes have no links with the ongoing military operation  in North Waziristan.

Condemning the two incidents of drone strikes that took place near Miramshah on Wednesday, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said it was completely misleading and wrong to attach such strikes to the Zarb-e-Azb operation.

During her weekly media briefing on Thursday, she said that it has been made clear on earlier occasions as well that Pakistan regarded such strikes as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Referring to previous statements and efforts of Pakistan on the drone issue, the spokesperson said that Pakistan had brought up the issue at various international fora and presented and passed a number of resolutions against drone strikes.

She further added that a resolution sponsored by Pakistan, was also passed by the Human Rights Council on drone strikes and the UN rapporteur also presented its report against drone strikes in Pakistan.

Aslam said Pakistan had also taken up the issue of drone strikes with US officials at various levels to lodge its protest as well.

Wednesday’s strikes killed at least six people. On June 11, two successive drone strikes reportedly killed around 16 people and injured few others.

Afghanistan relationship

Replying to a question about contact with Afghan leadership over the ongoing military operation, the FO spokesperson said that Pakistan has conveyed to the Afghan leadership that this operation was the need of the hour to purge the area from extremist and terrorist elements.

She said there is a need for better border management and adequate steps need to be taken on the other side of the border so terrorists are unable to escape to Afghanistan.

281 Pakistanis currently languishing in Chinese prisons

Addressing the press conference, the FO spokesperson informed that there are 281 Pakistani in Chinese prisons. Aslam said 90% of these prisoners are detained or convicted on drugs/narcotics smuggling and illegal trade charges, while one prisoner has been detained on murder charges and rest were convicted in cases such as illegal stay/over stay, illegal entry and fraud. Giving the break-up, she said 33 prisoners in Beijing, 95 in Urumqi, 9 in Chengdu, 100 in Guangzhou, 22 in Shanghai  and 22 in some other detention centers.

Pakistanis in Iraq

Replying to a question regarding the situation of Pakistan expats in Iraq, the spokesperson said that there is no report of any Pakistani being kidnapped in Iraq.

She said that most of the Pakistanis are not in the area where the situation is more alarming. There were some Pakistanis in Tikrit but they had left the town before the situation got worsens.

Correction: An earlier version of the story mistakenly referred to the Zarb-e-Azb operation as Zarb-e-Arb. The error is regretted.